Federal Outreach

For more than 50 years, ADC has served as the national voice for the communities that support America’s military installations, missions, and families. Our federal outreach efforts are focused on advancing policies that improve military readiness and strengthen America’s defense infrastructure.

Through sustained engagement with Congress and the Department of War, ADC has played a leading role in securing major policy victories, including the creation and expansion of IGSA authority and the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP). We also champion investments in installations, resilience, workforce, quality of life, and defense community partnerships.

ADC is working to implement the Homefront Policy Roadmap to advance innovative partnerships, strengthen installation resilience, expand workforce and industrial base development, and ensure defense communities have the tools and resources needed to support evolving national security missions. Our vision is a true one-community approach to national defense – one where the military, communities, states, industry, and Congress work together to strengthen our nation’s homefront by enhancing readiness, deter emerging threats, and secure America’s long-term strategic advantage.

America’s military readiness depends not only on installations and force structure, but on the strength and resilience of the communities that support them. Building on ADC’s National Security Starts at Home™ framework, this roadmap reflects what defense community leaders are telling us: the challenges are real, the solutions exist, and the time to act is now.

Informed by sustained engagement with communities, federal partners, and military stakeholders over the past year, ADC is proud to advocate for our 2026 policy agenda.

Senate Caucus Co-Chairs

Sen. Jerry Moran (KS)
Sen. Gary Peters (MI)

House Caucus Co-Chairs

Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-2)
Rep. Jason Crow (CO-6)

Defined by a mission of force and family, readiness and resiliency, our installations and communities are the foundation of our military’s competitive edge. The strength of our bases and communities are forever linked through a dynamic and ever-evolving partnership. The Defense Communities Caucus is a bipartisan group of lawmakers that provides a unified voice to strengthen the readiness of our nation’s installations, missions and military families and to support the defense communities that they call home.

This Caucus works on key activities, such as:

Promoting policies and programs that support strong collaborative partnerships between communities, states and the military that enhance readiness and mission success, as well as create the quality of life for our service members and their families deserve and our military readiness depends on.
Identifying ways to enhance our defense infrastructure inside and outside the gate through investment and partnerships.
Protecting long term readiness and sustainability of our military by combating encroachment that impacts military training, testing, and operations.
Ensuring local communities can adapt to DOW program changes, expansions and cutbacks, and mitigate the incompatibilities between military operations and local development.
Building sustained cooperation with communities around basing decisions to promote transparency, communication and joint planning.

The Defense Communities Caucus will give voice to these unique issues, while creating and strengthening partnerships between the communities and installations that will help ensure that our military has great and resilient places to call home. Our defense communities play a unique role supporting our military — and they deserve our steadfast commitment.

For more information about how to join or support the caucus, please contact ADC Executive Director Matt Borron at matt@defensecommunities.org

About the Defense Communities Caucus

Federal Outreach and Advisory Committee

Co-Chairs

Daniel Rhoades
21st Century Partnership for Warner Robins AFB (GA)

Jill M McClune
Aberdeen Army Alliance (MD)

ADC Board Liaison

Sal Nodjomian
City of Niceville (FL)

Councilmembers

Brittany Smart
University of Alaska Fairbanks (AK)

Mike Ward
Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce (AL)

Daniel Mann
Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority (AR)

Ryan Lee
City of Glendale (AZ)

Sandy Person
Solano EDC / Travis Community Consortium (CA)

Fred Meurer
Monterey Bay Defense Alliance (CA)

Misty Perez
Port of Heuneme (CA)

Keith C Klaehn
Colorado Springs Defense Mission Task Force (CO)

Debi Graham
Greater Pensacola Chamber (FL)

Joel Blockton
Cobb County Chamber of Commerce (GA)

Vera Topasna
Office of the Governor of Guam (GU)

Kimberly Huth
St. Clair County, Director of Military Affairs (IL)

Kelli Pendleton
Ft. Campbell Strong Defense Alliance (KY)

Randy Fuss
Sourcewell Minnesota (MN)

Jamie Miller
Mississippi Development Authority (MS)

Greg Doyon
City of Great Falls/Montana Defense Alliance (MT)

Patricia A Harris
North Carolina Military Affairs Commission (NC)

Tom Ford
Grand Forks County (ND)

Gracie Lynn
Grand Forks County (ND)

Brian Dicken
Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce (OH)

Michael Gessel
Dayton Development Coalition (OH)

Joseph Garrity
Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (OH)

Josh Prest
Eastern Ohio Military Affairs Commission (OH)

Mike Cooper
State of Oklahoma (OK)

Mary Graham
South Carolina Military Base Taskforce (SC)

Robert Timm
City of Box Elder (SD)

Keith Sledd
Heart of Texas Defense Alliance (TX)

Glenn Barham
Sheppard Military Affairs Committee (TX)

William McKnight
Alamo Area Council of Governments (TX)

Brian Garrett
Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (UT)

Mark R Shepherd
Clearfield City (UT)

Stacie Henn
Prince William County, Dept of Economic Development (VA)

Rick Dwyer
Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance (VA)

Don Anderson
City of Lakewood (WA)

FOAC Advisor

Matthew Herrman

The Roosevelt Group (DC)

ADC General Counsel

George Schlossberg
Kutak Rock (DC)